Notes |
- ID: I21487
Name: Thomas Absalom Williams
Given Name: Thomas Absalom
Surname: Williams
Sex: M
Change Date: 26 MAY 2010
Note:
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From Ken Williams Tree, Williams & McWilliams of East Texas, on rootsweb:
T A [Thomas Absalom] Williams served the Confederate States of America in the Civil War in Captain James Martin's Company, Texas Partisan Rangers...This Company subsequently became known as Company C, Madison's Regiment, Texas Cavalry. The Regiment is also known as Phillip's Regiment, Texas Cavalry and as the 3rd Regiment, Arizona Brigade. Thomas had the rank of Corporal. Killed-in-Action May 1864, 29 years old, who left a young widow [Sarah Somers] and a 4 month old child, Benjamin Thomas Williams and his half-sister Sarah Jane Williams, 7 years old. For more details read the CW letters of Thomas to his second wife Sarah Somers.
"THE CIVIL WAR LETTERS OF THOMAS A WILLIAMS to HIS WIFE SARAH"
Thomas enlisted in Houston Texas June 7, 1862. He was in Captain James Martin's Company Partisan Rangers. Chain of Command was Captain James Martin> Major Alonzo Ridley>Lt/Col George T Madison>Col Joseph Phillips. Thomas' rank was Corporal.
State of La. Aug 24, 1862
Dear Companion,
I seat myself to inform you that I am well at present. Hoping that these few (lines) may find you and the clildren well. I offer my love and respect to you. I will tell you where I am. I'm on the Bayou Lafuyh. (Lafourche). I overtook my company at New Iberia town. I was 14 days on the road.
The very day I overtook them we got on a boat and went 70 miles then took the (railroad) cars and went 40 miles. We are on the Mississippi. We are looking for fight in a few days. The Yankees is very thick. They sail up and down the river every day and night. We see them every day. They stay on the other side of the river. We are preparing for a fight. We are crazy? to be in it. Our horses is getting plenty to eat at this time.
Tell Carroll that Thomas is well at this time. He talks but little about home. He is very well satisfied. He wants to kill a Yankee very bad.
Direct your letter to New Iberia La in care of Captain J Martin. So I must come to a close. Its getting near dinner time. So nothing more. My ink is pale, my pen is bad, my love to you will never fail.
T A Williams
NOTE: Lafourche is pronounced Lafoosh. Thanks Dale and Stan Williams.
State of La. September 25, 1862
Dear Wife,
I seat myself to inform you of my health which is good at this time. Hoping these few lines will find you and the children well. I want to see you all very bad but their is no chance for me to get a furlough at this time. I hope we will have peace soon. On the fourth of September we had a fight at Boutte Station.
Their was 50 Yankees killed and wounded. We never lost a man. We marched to the next station. Nary one killed and took around 50 prisoners with out firing a gun. On the ninth we had a skirmish with the militia that rebelled against us. We killed 2 of them and took 15 prisoners. On the 10th the Yankees shelled us and on the 15th. Their was no damage done. On the 22nd and 23rd they shelled us all day. Their was no damage done. On the 24th the fight commenced early in the morning. It lasted till 12 o'clock. We didn't lose nary a man. Their was several horses killed from under the riders. Their was 6 Yankees killed and 2 drowned. It was a draw fight. I was not in the fight. Thomas was in it. He said the grape and canister flew-thick around him.
When you receive this letter, write to me. I have wrote 4 letters, and I have no answer yet. Write soon. So I must come to a close.
Your affectionate husband until death.
Direct your letter to Thibodeaux, La. in care of Captain J Martin.
Thomas is well. He sez he wants to be at home very bad. He sez give his respect to Miss Mary Jewel.
T A Williams
Mrs. Sara Williams
State of La. October 19, 1862
Dear Wife,
I seat myself to inform you of my health which is good at this time. Hoping these few lines may find you and children enjoying same like blessing. I am on my way back to the Calcasieu to rendezvous there for a while and then I reckon we will go on to Texas, I think. When I get to the Calcasieu river I write to you and I will write how to direct your letters if you will write to me but it looks like you have forgot me. I have sent __ letters to you and I ain't got nary letter from you yet. So night is coming and I must come to a close. Excuse my short letter.
Remain your beloved husband until death.
T A Williams
Upper portion of this letter is unreadable. kw
the 18 of October we are ordered back to the Mississippi river. So I want you to write soon as you get this letter and tell Carroll to write to Thomas and direct your letter to Mouton, La. in care of ___ Captain Martin. Write how you are getting along with your pears. Write to me about the hogs and your corn.
T A Williams
Note: Mouton is now Lafayette, La. kw
State of La. November 11, 1862
Dear Wife, I seat myself to inform you of my health which is not very good at this time. I hope these few lines may find you enjoying good health, you and the children. I have had the mumps but I am getting well of them. We had another big fight on the 20th of October and we got whipped very bad. We lost 2 hundred men killed and wounded. They took 1 hundred and 20 of our men prisoner. We killed and wounded about six hundred and took about 30 of them prisoners. Their was 7 thousand of them and 2 thousand of us. We retreated 1 hundred miles. We was 4 days and nights, we never got nothing to eat nor sleep. We are 10 miles above Berwick Bay. We are fortifying and looking for another big fight in a few days. Lewis and Alick got to us the 20th of October. Alick was in the fight. I got a ball shot through my hat. Thomas and Alick is both well. Lewis is well except the bad cold. Tell Elizabeth that Lewis has wrote to her one letter. I have wrote to you this makes 7 letters and I ain't got but one letter from you and Alick brought it. I ain't out of hopes yet. I am in hopes of getting a letter next mail. When you get this letter write to me with out fail for there is nothing better than hearing from home. Write how my hogs is getting along and you are getting along with your pears. You must rent my land or get Carroll to do it. Do the best you can with it for I don't know when I will come home. I may come home about Christmas. I can't draw no money yet nor not likely to draw in a short time. I have plenty of clothing at this time. So I must come to a close. Excuse my bad hand.
Your affectionate husband until death.
T A Williams Sara Williams
State of La, Nov.20, 1862
Dear wife,
I seat myself to inform you of my health which is good at this time. Hoping you and the children same like blessing. I want to see you and the children bad though I think that I will be with you by spring. We are looking for a big fight every day. Their are two of their gun boats run aground and we are shooting them with our big guns. I think that we will take them prisoners. They tried to take our salt works. They are shooting at us every day with their big guns. We are shooting them down to with our big guns. The enemy got nine of our men a few nights back. They was on picket guard. Me and Thomas and Alick was standing picket about a mile from them when they thought they had us but we was too smart for them. We stood guard three days and nights without any thing to eat or drink or sleep. We had sugar cane and oranges a plenty. We was about ten miles from the main army of our men. Tell Carroll that their has been a many a ball shot at me and Thomas and Alick, but I don't know how soon they may kill us. I have had one bullit shot threw my hat. They came up boldly to our salt works with their gun boats. They march out and drank water_____then run back to their gun boats. I want you to write to me how my hogs are getting along and I want you to write to me as soon as you get it for I have wrote you 8 or 10 and I have got 1 from you. I want you to write to me how you and the children is getting along and tell Phillip that I want him to see to my hogs as much as he can. So it is getting late and I must come to a close.
Excuse my letter. I remain your true husband until death.
T. A. Williams To: Mrs. Sara Williams
Thomas sez go around to all the girls houses and tell the girls "Howdy" for him. All he studies about is the girls and sez that when he comes home he will steal them.
Remain your letters to Moutown.
State of Tex. Galveston
January the 29: 1864
Dear wife, This leaves me well. Hoping you and the children the same like blessing. I hear that Sara (Jane Williams) was sick. I was sorry to hear it. (__can't decipher (kw)______ _______ _____)We are at Virginia Point. Their is some talk of our moving to the Galveston Narrows. I am not (sure) what we will do (with) our horses on the Brazos. We was dismounted 3 miles above Houston. Our horses were sent back to the Brazos. We will return to our horses in March. Tell Elizabeth that Lewis is coming back to his old company in the morning. Write to me and direct your letter to Virginia Point. We have just got our bounty this evening. Write to me whether (you) have got your meat killed or not. Write me whether you have got your corn or not. If you need any money, write to me soon. I want to know whether Carroll is going to rent my land or not. If not you must rent it (to him and) you can do nothing more.
I remain yours. T A Williams
to Mrs. Sara Williams
T A Williams land has not been found yet. It should be in Tyler County as brother Phillip is asked to take care of his hogs and he wants brother Carroll to rent it. This is horse and buggy days and a man didn't travel far to tend to the hogs.
I added the Jane Williams above to clarify as this has become evident as to who she is. A child by his first marriage to Rebecca Richardson. Sarah will grow up and become the wife of Jacob Moore. This last letter is almost unreadable as T A's handwriting has deteriorated. This is probably due to starvation rations as the citizens were complaining about the soldiers stealing fruit and food everwhere on the Island. There exists much history of all these battles at the Rosenberg Library Archives in Galveston Tx.
These letters are in the possession of Billy Jean Barrow/Reome of Conroe Texas. I transcribed them in 1986 and took many liberties as they are faded and the spelling is poor at times. (Grandpa, forgive me). Now here is some more details, notes, history and musings for your reflection.
These are the sons and grandsons of Thomas Williams b 1785 SC and Susannah Carroll b 1795 SC.
Susannah is the daughter of Absalom Carroll of SC and MS.
Son, Carroll is James Carroll Williams b 1810 NC and he was too old for the war.
Son, Phillip Williams b 1813 was too old for this war but was appointed by the Tyler County Court to visit destitute families and provide for their needs.
Son, Samuel Myers Williams b 1829 Ms. Haven't found his service record yet. 2003
Sons, Lewis A Williams b 1832 Ms and Thomas Absalom Williams b 1835 Ms are younger brothers to Carroll and Phillip and Sam.
Grandsons:
"Thomas" is Carroll's son b 1840 Ms. Mentioned numerous times in the above letters. From his log we see that he was wounded on Monday, May 18, 1864 at Yellow Bayou in Louisiana, and "was unable for duty for 16 days." Same month that his Uncle Thomas Absalom Williams was killed.
"Alick" is Alexander, Carroll's son b 1841 Ms. Also mentioned.
Phillip Hugh Williams, Carroll's son b 1843 Ms. Not mentioned in the above letters.
Charles H Williams, Carroll's son b 1847 Ms. Not mentioned in the letters above.
Marshall Williams, while not mentioned in these letters is a son of Carroll Williams and was killed in the Civil War, a mere 15 years old.
For more Civil War stories, see the Descendents of James Carroll Williams.
FACT: The Yankees intercepted the mail for several reasons. One, the intelligence gathered on troop movement, and two, missing letters affected the soldier's morale as if the home folks were not supporting the war effort.
Fact: We do not know where T A was killed and buried. If he died in May of 1864, then his Regiment was in numerous battles near Alexandria Louisiana. A hint may be that Col. Madison's Regiment was in the battle of Yellow Bayou de Glaze, Norwood's Plantation, (Old Oaks) La. May 18, 1864 "where the Texans suffered heavy loss in attacking the Federal rear guard."
FACT: Virginia Point is on the North side of the Causeway Bridge over Galveston Bay. It is on the right hand side going North to Houston.
History: The bounty mentioned by T A is from the retaking of Galveston from the Yankees Jan 1, 1863. Here is a quote from General Magruder to General Samuel Cooper, "Captain Martin, commanding a company of cavalry, having arrived from New Iberia, La., volunteered his services and was like wise assigned to duty on board the same steamer. (the "Bayou City". The other ship was the "Neptune").
In a nutshell, the Bayou City and the Neptune fought the Yankees "Harriet Lane" and others in the Narrows and the Confederates with accurate close range fire over their bales of cotton whipped the Harriet Lane. Now there is much more to this battle so if interested please read "West Gulf Blockading Squadron" in the "Confederate Military History" and now the final words in this letter.
"I have the honor to announce that the whole coast and islands are now in our possession and that the Rio Grande is strongly occupied".
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant."
J. Bankhead Magruder
Major-General, Commanding.
Galveston remained under the control of the CSA for the rest of the war. kw
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Sources:
1.Abbrev: Family Archives of Hayward / Grooms Families
Title: Family Archives of Hayward-Grooms Family
From the research and compilation by Michele Yvonne Hayward-Tate and her Father Richard Kee Hayward. Gedcom file imported on 23 Jul 2001 plus further research exchanged through the years.
2.Abbrev: Family Archives of Hooper / Crosby / Bianchi and Related Families
Title: Twig, Tree & Treasure A Genealogical Sojourn
Bianchi's Twig, Tree & Treasure A Genealogical Sojourn
by Linda & Mike Bianchi, email: twigtree@milin.net
The project started in earnest during the 1960's and has continued sporadically from then on with help by various family members and a lot of friends. Oral and documented family information was complied by Linda Bianchi nee Hooper and Barbara Hooper nee Crosby, later augmented with additions by Lee and Cathy nee Hooper Galloway. A special Thank You to Michele Yvonne Hayward Tate and her family and to Amy Holtgrewe Haertling and her family, for their generous help. The project continues to be updated and expanded by Linda and Mike Bianchi.
Not all of the source data is listed simply because the data is a compilation from many different sources, most which were family oral history records. Some data will have individuals or groups listed as the source of information. While these persons should be credited and are thanked for making significant contributions to this work, they should by no means be construed as being the only source for that particular data or as the only person to have worked on that line.
3.Abbrev: Family Archives of Williams Family
Title: Williams & McWilliams of East Texas
Compiled by Ken Williams
Updated: 19 January 2010
located on rootsweb.com
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=crystalinda22&id=I21487
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